Colombia

With all of the violence and civil unrest, why would anyone visit Colombia? After several decades of conflict, the violence has significantly decreased as a result of the military and monetary support provided by the United States of America. Many paramilitary groups have demobilized as part of a controversial peace process between the government and the guerrillas with the guerrillas loosing control in many areas. Colombia’s homicide rate has almost halved since 2002 and has become a much safer place to visit. In fact, Lonely Planet chose Colombia as one of their top ten world destinations for 2006 and in 2008, the British Foreign Office recognized the improvements in the country’s security and deemed Colombia now safe to visit. Since then, travelers are beginning to return and discover what they have been missing. While still enduring some problems, Colombia is a beautiful place to visit. The diversity of Colombia will amaze you. Check out the modern cities with skyscrapers and nightclubs, the gorgeous Caribbean beaches, hike through the jungle or visit one of the Colonial cities filled with archaeological ruins. Other leisure activities include surfing, scuba diving, and sport fishing.

Colombia has many exotic cities to discover from the modern Bogota that’s filled with vibrant music and great food or visit something more traditional like colonial Cartagena, one of the safest cities in Colombia that really shows the country’s history.

Colombian food can be an adventure for your taste buds. There are exotic dishes where guinea pigs and roasted ants are served as dinner and considered a delicacy. Most Colombian dishes consist of meat products such as chicken, beef, fish, and pig. Many of the coastal cities offer more seafood dishes like lobster and shrimp. Much of Colombian food has been influenced by European and African immigrants, thus offering a very unique experience of mouth watering cuisine.

So, if you’re looking for a cultural experience in a very beautiful and diverse country, a Colombian vacation is the answer.